All students should be required to take at least one course in ethics, even if taking the course means a decreased emphasis on academic subjects
As the society is facing with more complexities as moral decline and the common confusion about the ever-changing society, we put more emphasis on the academic study but neglect the study of human nature. We are more confused by the complex world and we are lack of moral discipline, so I advocate the idea to reemphasize on morality and ethics, academic study and ethics study should be put the equal emphasis.
Ethics is the pedestal of human beings. With no discipline of ethics and morality, we are easily to get lost in this society full of cheating and violence. We cognize ourselves not from the academic study but from the courses guiding us to seek the nature of mankind. Ethics can be the best pedestal to guide anyone to achieve success in any fields, for it offers anyone a better view of life, spirit and society which is neglected aspects of any academic study. With the study of ethics, students explore the depth of ideology, have more restrict of themselves on the path to success in the complex society not only with the goal for lucre but also with the consideration of the whole world. Ethics is a guideline for anyone to survive and cooperate with each other; it is a comprehensive course for one to have the most value to the society with all the academic study subordinated to it. Here I do not mean academic subjects are of trivial value, I just point out ethics study is fundamental, abstract and comprehensive while the academic study is concrete, specific and important.
Morality is important for cultivating a healthy value system and serves as an inspiration to stimulate any scintillating people to make contribution to the society. Anyone with no ethics discipline will do great harm to others or the society even he achieves huge success in the specific academic subjects. Using the example of the nuclear weapons, anyone knows the discovery of nuclear energy is a great progress in the scientific world. Scientists know the giant nuclear energy is a substitute of the exhaustible natural resources such as gas and coal. When human beings are happy about the giant leap in scientific research, we are astonished to find some scientists with no social responsibility stole this scientific goal into the development of military weapons. It is just one of the consequences of the lack of ethics discipline to cause great disasters on the civilians. Even though it is a success in one academy, with no limitation of morality, however, it poses threat to human beings when we are seeking a harmonious and peaceful environment.
Besides the great effect on society, ethics can also guarantee the healthy development of individuals. A majority of great scientists and politicians are of high-standard self-discipline. They are famous for their virtue as honesty, kindness and their benevolent behaviors. Mrs Curies once said one should seek the perfection of individuals to make the greatest contribution to the society. It is a precious treasure for any scientists when they are exploring the world.
I concede, when technology brought a series of changes in human lives, ideologies and behaviors, schooling are better to provide students with academic study to impel the development of society. But ethics study is the basic course of anyone, any subjects and any society.
[ Last edited by staralways on 2005-7-25 at 19:14 ]